In Defense Of Curmudgeons-Bill Murray’s St. Vincent

 

 

 

DVD Review

 

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

 

St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, 2014

 

Not everybody from what some sociologist I read one time has called the “generation of ’68, those who came of political age in the 1960s and who went off to war, or didn’t, smoked dope, or didn’t, had a good professional career, or didn’t, raised a family, or didn’t, and so on, is of the “generation of ‘68” (those who tried to “storm heaven” to create the “newer world” that one way or another was driving them forward until the ebbtide came and washed a lot of it away). A few, no, a lot of people, guys and gals alike, went about their lives in the 1960s very much like they had expected to (and their parents expected them to except “do a little better”) as if the whole SDS/anti-war/merry prankster/on the road/yellow brick road school bus/drug/acid rock/commune and whatever you wish to add slashes to was from another planet. And that place, more or less, is where the titular head of the movie under review, Saint Vincent, played by the curmudgeony (if there is such a word) Bill Murray who has made a career out of playing the holy goof curmudgeon to a tee (and still wears that mantle well) landed when the ebb tide of the 1960s hit.       

 

Yeah old Vincent is a curmudgeon, no question, of unknown resources, a gambler, drinker, doper, crank crackpot but see this plotline is strictly under the “feel good” cinematic experience category so something has to give. And of course it does. See the big built-up of the cranky old guy who hates and/or complains about everything (although in a “shrug your shoulders” kind of way also a Murray trade-mark) gradually gets broken down by, well, a kid, a kid who moves in next door, the son of a single mom who has to work like seven dervishes to make enough dough to keep them afloat. And so Vincent transforms from that old curmudgeon to the saint baby-sitter of the title-kind of-while the kid learns a few things about life. But mainly about how to break down an old guy and make him a good guy. Not an easy task in this wicked old world. If you are looking for a big message story forget it but if you are happy with an hour and half or so of Bill Murray doing his Bill Murray thing then-take the ticket, take the ride.